Press Releases
Commissioner Comer urges Kentucky schools to serve local foods on Farm Fresh Fridays
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
For more information contact:
Ted Sloan
(502) 564-1138
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner James Comer challenged Kentucky schools to provide fresh local foods to their students on Farm Fresh Fridays, a program that will launch in conjunction with Farm to School Month in October.
“Serving fresh local foods to our school children will provide them the nourishment they need to grow up strong and healthy,” Commissioner Comer said. “It also will provide educators a way to teach them about where their food comes from. At the same time, buying farm-fresh foods helps local farmers make a living. I hope every Kentucky school will participate in Farm Fresh Fridays and eventually serve local Kentucky Proud foods on a regular basis if they don’t already.”
Under Farm Fresh Fridays, school food service directors will be called upon to procure and serve at least one locally grown Kentucky Proud fruit or vegetable once a month. Optional activities are suggested to educate students about local food and encourage students to share their Farm Fresh Fridays activities through social media.
Farm Fresh Fridays is an initiative of the Kentucky Farm to School Task Force, which includes members from the state Department for Public Health, Department of Education, Community Farm Alliance, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Kentucky Action for Healthy Kids, the Kentucky School Nutrition Association, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, producers, nonprofits, and others committed to the local food movement.
Kentucky schools in the KDA’s Farm to School Program served local foods to an estimated 364,000 children in approximately 702 schools in the 2011-2012 school year. A total of 84 school districts are members of the Kentucky Proud program. For more information on the Farm to School Program, go to www.kyagr.com or contact Tina Garland at (502) 382-7505 or tina.garland@ky.gov.
